Mind Games
by DancingRaindrops
Summary: When Chad and Sonny are fighting too much, Tawni takes matters into her own hands. A game to settle whose show is better once and for all should do it. But does she have an ulterior motive? Channy, of course! Winner of sterlingknightfan123's challenge!


A/N: Here's another random little one-shot I wrote in the middle of the night. I thought of this while I was actually playing this game at school. Speaking of, I've got finals coming up, so updates for my two multi-chapters, **If We Were A Movie **and **Stormy with Patches of Sky** will probably be slow to come. Apologies to all!

**Mind Games**

Chad strolled into the _So Random!_ prop house casually, his hands in his pockets and his nose in the air. A few months ago, his presence there would have been shocking. After a certain Sonny Munroe had come to Condor Studios, however, the _Mackenzie Falls _star was often seen in _So Random!_ territory, now without even an eyebrow lift of surprise. Everyone accepted it, just as they accepted that every day, they would sooner or later hear "Fine!" and "Good!" being exchanged. Everyone accepted it - except Tawni Hart.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked Chad in a tone far from friendly.

"I'm just making sure you guys are as lame as ever." He shrugged, glancing at the scene before him - Tawni reading the latest _Tween Weekly_, and Sonny curled up on the couch with a script for the week's sketches. "Yup. Definitely lame. I'd ask where the others are, but that would imply that I cared. Which I obviously don't. Chad Dylan Cooper is too awesome to care." Sonny glared in response, standing up to argue with him. Flipping a page in her magazine disinterestedly, Tawni rolled her eyes. Those two were starting to get on her nerves, with their constant bickering/flirting. It was honestly about time that they got together already.

"Are you really that conceited, Chad? That you feel the need to come over here and tell us about it?" Sonny retorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"It's not conceit. It's true. I really _am_ that amazing," he smirked, popping his collar.

"Oh, really? Because I don't think so." Sonny smiled, knowing that he would be annoyed by that statement.

"Well, fine! Because I don't think you are either!" Tawni groaned inwardly. _Here we go again..._

"Fine!" Sonny shot back angrily. _Figures she would get worked up about that._

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Be quiet!" Tawni interrupted before Chad could reply. "Okay? I really don't want to sit here and listen to you two fight. If you're going to stick around," she addressed Chad, "then you two need to keep busy some other way."

"Like what?" Chad scoffed. "Playing a board game?" He shook his head in disgust, the corners of his mouth turning upwards slightly as he continued. "Chad Dylan Cooper does _not_ play board games."

"Well, how about a different game, then?" Sonny suggested. "We used to play one back in Wisconsin where one person would say a random word, and then the others have to say the first word that comes to mind. It's really funny to see what people say!" Tawni's face lit up. Perfect. Not that she was usually into games, but this one offered an opportunity that she couldn't pass up. And hopefully, if all went according to plan, she could finally have some peace and quiet.

"Let's do it!" she broke in quickly before Chad. "I'll give the words. Ready?" The other two nodded in affirmation as they sat down, Chad rolling his eyes a bit. "Okay...crush!"

Chad pressed his lips together firmly, as if to ensure that nothing came out of them. Sonny laughed nervously.

"Tawni, that's - that's a silly one. Let's go to the next one."

"But you said they were supposed to be random! And this isn't going to work if you guys don't say it immediately. I'll keep track of who responds first every time, and whoever has the least points at the end has to say that the other's show is better." Tawni winced internally as she added the condition, hoping that Sonny won.

"Oh, you are going down, Munroe," Chad challenged, his interest in the game fueled by the contest.

"In your dreams! Next word, Tawni." Tawni thought for a little while before offering up the next word. Perhaps she had been a bit too obvious. She decided to start off with words that she knew would remind the two of each other, but in such an innocent way that neither of them would think anything of it.

"Steak," she finally settled on.

"Delicious."

"Chad." Sonny blushed after her reply, earning a wink from Chad.

"Steak reminds you of me, Sonny? How touching."

"Okay, okay, one point for Chad," Tawni said hastily when she saw Sonny open her mouth to defend herself. "Next word - fans."

"Girls," Chad answered with a grin, a millisecond before Sonny.

"Beards." The faint tint of red on Sonny's cheeks reignited, spreading. Chad laughed.

"Okay then, another point for Chad...prom."

"Romantic."

"Sonny." Now it was Chad's turn to look uncomfortable. Sonny looked at him with a grin, and Tawni smiled as well. It seemed that they were getting somewhere.

"James," Tawni continued, gritting her teeth slightly.

"Jerk," the brunette said automatically.

"Jerk," Chad echoed venomously. Sonny turned to him again, this time in surprise.

"Wait, why would _you_ think he was a jerk? He didn't do anything to _you_." The look on Chad's face was priceless - he knew very well the reason why he thought James was a jerk, but he couldn't exactly admit it. Jealousy is a curious thing.

"Well, he...stole my phone, remember? And no one touches Chad Dylan Cooper's phones." Sonny gave him a skeptical look before facing Tawni again. Chad let out a sigh, visibly relieved that his answer had been accepted.

"The score is now tied," Tawni reminded them. "I'll ask three more, and then we'll see who the winner is." Both of the teens across from her leaned in a couple inches, concentrating. "Sun."

"Sonny."

"Happy. You think of me, Chad?" She gave him a bright smile, pleased.

"N-no. I just think of...you know, sunny. Like, the sun makes me think of it being...sunny outside," Chad improvised.

"Do you, Chad? Do you really?" Sonny looked at him knowingly, and Chad's cheeks went slightly pink.

"Chad has another point. Sonny now has to get the next two to win," Tawni informed them, much more quietly than before. The teens opposite her didn't turn at her voice; they continued to look at each other, going into another one of their intense "looking" sessions. "The next word is...crush."

"Chad," Sonny answered breathlessly, gazing into Chad's eyes.

"Sonny," he returned, equally entranced.

"Kiss." Tawni held her breath, hoping that her plan had worked.

"Sonny," Chad said in a low voice.

"Chad," Sonny whispered at the same time. Both leaned forward subconsciously. After what seemed like forever, Chad closed the gap between them. Their lips met for a few brief seconds before Sonny pulled away. "So who won?" she asked Tawni, still gazing at Chad. Tawni fought the urge to hit the girl - she had just been kissed by Chad Dylan Cooper, and that was the first thing she could say?

"It was a tie. You two said your last answers at the same time." _Only _they_ would end up tying, _she thought, shaking her head.

"No. It wasn't a tie," Chad spoke up. "I won."

"No, you didn't!" Sonny corrected indignantly. Tawni crossed her fingers, hoping that this wouldn't grow into another fight.

"Really, Sonny? _Really_?" He said the words softly, leaning in to brush his lips against hers once more. When he pulled away, he smirked at the enthralled expression on her face. "I think I did." Sonny nodded fervently, which led to another kiss. Tawni slipped out of the prop house, clutching her magazine and grinning. They would get their privacy, and she would get hers.

"Mission accomplished. Finally, some peace and quiet!" she exclaimed to herself. Right as she spoke, however, the sound of things crashing and breaking was heard. "Oh, now what?!" She heard people screaming, which could only mean one thing. Tawni threw her hands up in the air, frustrated. "Zora!" It never ended, did it?

A/N: Please take the time to review if you can – it means a lot to me. Thank you.


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